Page 351 - Records of Bahrain (7) (i)_Neat

Study of administrative machinery, 1957 337

7.

or u financial export on the Administration Council is

neccooary in order to oot a ’limit to the other members}
particularly the A1 Khalifu membero very hazy ideas of
i
»
financial practice, Mr. Cummins too is in favour though
he felt unable to press it very far. Another idea of ouro
which I had put to the Ruler, that the municipal and other
councils should refer to the Administration Council direct in

certain matters rathor than through the Secretary to the
Government, is regarded as somewhat dangerous by Mr, Cummins
because it would give a route which avoided the Secretariat
and by so doing.duplicated the channel to the Ruler, I have
therefore decided to leave this idea alone until Mr. Cummins'
report has gone in and v/c and the Ruler and the Adviser have
all had a chance to study it fully.

8. There is I think a good hope that out of Mr. Cummins i
recommendations some real improvement to Bahrain’s administrative
machinery may come and may be seen to come, once the new
Secretary, Mr. Smith, has established himself in his new duties
which will take a little time. The greatest obstacle to
complete, or even comparative, success v/ill be the Ruler’s

insiut’ence on doing thinguthe way he thinks best, whatever
the expert may say, coupled with his general lack of mental
flexibility and unreadinoso to accept changes in habit long
formed. It will be necessary therefore to watch for any
ouch tendencies and seek to chock them shoudl they become
excesoive and at the sumo time advise and encourage Mr. Smith

in/